- AIC appointed Caitlin Carroll as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs on November 12, 2025.
- Carroll brings public affairs and legislative communications experience from Weber Shandwick, Senator Richard Burr’s office, and PhRMA.
- The hire supports AIC’s expanded advocacy on carried interest tax policy and wider access to private assets in 401(k) plans.
- AIC is also bolstering communications as regulatory and public scrutiny of private equity intensifies.
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The appointment of Caitlin Carroll comes at a pivotal moment for AIC. Carroll’s experience—spanning federal legislative work, Fortune 100-level public affairs, and healthcare advocacy—positions her to advance AIC’s policy messaging rigorously. Her tenure on Capitol Hill under Senator Burr, where she handled communications on sensitive national issues, suggests AIC is preparing to engage in high-stakes policy debates.
AIC has been active in 2025, securing legislative wins (notably on carried interest tax reform via the One Big Beautiful Bill), pushing regulatory reforms to allow broader retirement-account access to private assets, and publishing data showing private equity’s strong returns in public pension portfolios.
The industry’s regulatory risk is rising. Scrutiny on carried interest, SEC rules concerning private funds, and broader concerns around transparency and social impact are increasing. AIC’s hiring of Carroll likely aims to strengthen its capacity to manage public perception, tailor policy arguments, and respond rapidly.
Strategic implications include AIC’s potential to influence upcoming legislation and regulatory proposals, especially as politicians weigh reforms affecting carried interest, pension fund oversight, and access to alternative investments. AIC’s communications strategy will need to address bipartisan concerns, especially in light of issues such as healthcare, pricing, and economic inequality.
Open questions include: How will Carroll’s appointment affect AIC’s internal messaging on more controversial topics (e.g. healthcare or environmental regulation)? Will her role translate to measurable changes in public opinion or legislative outcomes? How will AIC balance trade association advocacy with public expectations of accountability?
Supporting Notes
- Caitlin Carroll was officially announced as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at AIC on November 12, 2025.
- Carroll previously worked at Weber Shandwick since 2022, advising Fortune 100 companies, nonprofits, and education institutions.
- On Capitol Hill, she led communications for Senator Richard Burr while he was Ranking Member of the HE-LP and Select Intelligence committees and managed messaging on national crises, including COVID-19 policy, baby formula shortages, and prescription drug pricing.
- Earlier roles include state-level communications for PhRMA, Communications Director for the Republican Study Committee, and press secretary for this House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
- In 2025, AIC achieved key wins: policy reforms to carry interest taxation (through OBBA), regulatory gains for access to private assets in 401(k) plans, and published data showing private equity’s 10-year median annual return outperforming other asset classes.
- Private equity delivered a 15.2% median annualized return over a 10-year period for public pensions; 88–89% of public funds invest in PE as of 2024-25; 34 million public servants depend on these returns.
- Regulatory pressure is mounting on private equity in the US and EU, including competition law, transparency, ESG, and oversight of fees.